Device for compacting waste in containers

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a device for compacting waste which is disposed in containers that are open at the top thereof. The inventive includes a compactor roller which is pivot-mounted to one end of a handling arm, the other end of the arm being mounted to a support frame in a collapsible manner. The device is characterized in that at least one of the transverse ends of the support frame has an anchoring device which can co-operate with a lift and load hook of a of a container transport vehicle.

RELATED U.S. APPLICATIONS

Not applicable.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not applicable.

REFERENCE TO MICROFICHE APPENDIX

Not applicable.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a device for compacting waste which is disposedin containers that are open at the top thereof, which device comprises acompactor roller which is rotationally mounted to one end of a handlingarm, the other end of which is mounted to a support frame, namely in acollapsible way.

The present invention will find its application in the field of thewaste-compacting devices.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In this respect, there is already known, in particular fromEP-0,042,580, such a device comprising a compactor roller mounted to theend of a hinged arm so as to be capable of plunging into a containerthrough its opening in the upper portion.

More exactly, this hinged arm is inserted in a directional way against abracket topping a base plate capable of being slit under a container, soas to maintain its stability during compaction.

Also, from FR-A-2,630,718 is known a compacting device comprising aframe above which is capable of moving a press likely to plunge into thecontainer that will have been previously placed in the cage defined bysaid frame. After use, the latter can be moved by means of the same kindof vehicle as used for transporting the containers. In particular, atone of its transverse ends, this frame is provided with coupling meansthrough which it can be seized by the hook for lifting and loading ontosuch a container transport vehicle.

It should be noted that the compactor devices described in each of theseprevious documents are functional when they rest on the ground and thecontainer the contents of which has to be compacted defines thecounterweight necessary to compensate for the compacting force impartedby a compactor roller or a press. In addition, since it is not mobile,after compaction of the contents of a container, the latter should beremoved, in order to leave room for another container for carrying out anew compaction operation.

It is obvious that these successive handling operations of thecontainers represent a considerable waste of time and require the use ofadequate transport vehicles. In particular, such containers usually reston two longitudinal beams and include, in the rear portion, rollingmeans in the form of rollers, while in the front portion are providedcoupling means which a handling hook provided on an automotive transportvehicle is capable of co-operating with. More exactly, through this hookand said coupling means the transport vehicle is capable of lifting saidcontainer at its front portion, in order to gradually draw it onto itsloading platform.

Furthermore, from EP-1,046,190 is known a similar device for compactingwaste, taking into consideration that the bracket receiving the hingedarm provided with the compactor roller is, here, mounted on a platformfrom where extend, in the front portion, two longitudinal beamsmaintaining between them a significant distance and provided, at theirfree end, with a metal roller with a reduced cross-section. In its rearportion, this platform includes directional wheels of larger dimensionsand maintaining between them a smaller distance.

In this same rear portion, the platform also includes retractablestruts, with a view to improving its stability during the compactingphase.

This device as described in this previous document is self-propelled.More exactly, the rear wheels are mounted on both sides of a central hubpivoting about a vertical axis and on which act said driving means, inparticular of a hydraulic type.

Though, contrarily to the compacting device described in EP-0,042,580,the one corresponding to EP-1,046,490 is mobile and can therefore bebrought close to a container to compact the waste contained in it, andnot inversely, this mobility has a cost.

Thus, here the platform has to be provided with the device of rollingmeans, some of which are directional, and it has to be provided withautonomous driving means and a hydraulic aggregate.

In this respect, it should be noted that from GB-2,261,832 is also knowna device for compacting waste the hinged arm of which, provided with itscompactor roller, is finally provided on an automotive vehicle, of thetype public works vehicle, including a control station. Though thisvehicle has a very great mobility and can very quickly pass from onecontainer to another, it proves to be of an even higher cost price thana self-propelled device as described above.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has been able to find a perfect compromise in thisfield of the compaction of waste in containers that are open in theupper portion, in particular through an extremely simple device. Inparticular, the latter allows to make use, as means for displacement,but also as a bearing structure, of the transport vehicles which areusually present on the industrial site where such containers of wasteare stored. In this context, it has also been devised that such atransport vehicle can, eventually, supply the compacting device with thepower which is necessary for its operation.

In brief, the compactor device according to the invention is of astructure astutely adapted to be easily positioned on the loadingplatform of a transport vehicle for containers which allows to bring itvery quickly in front of such a container stored on any industrial site,with a view to compacting its contents.

Thus, the invention relates to a device for compacting waste which isdisposed in containers that are open at the top thereof, which devicecomprises a compactor roller which is rotationally mounted to one end ofa handling arm, the other end of which is mounted to a support frame,namely in a collapsible way, characterized in that said bearing frame isessentially comprised of two longitudinal beams defining slides forloading said device onto the loading platform of a container transportvehicle and is provided, at one of its transverse ends, with couplingmeans designed capable of cooperating with a lifting and loading hooksaid container transport vehicle includes.

Though, in a first embodiment, this device can be provided withautonomous driving means, it can, in a simplified embodiment, includemeans, in the form of a hydraulic and/or pneumatic and/or electric powertake-off, for connection to independent driving means, in particulardefined by said transport vehicle.

Since container transport vehicles are present either permanently orperiodically on the sites where containers with waste are stored, it hasbeen devised that such a vehicle can ensure, in particular during theperiods in which it is not used for other purposes, the picking up ofthe compactor device. This picking up consists in conferring to thelatter the necessary mobility and stability to allow it to beindividually brought in front of each container in which waste has to becompacted.

This vehicle can eventually also provide it with the necessary power,either for driving the compactor roller or for controlling and movingthe hinged arm it is provided with.

In brief, in this case, the compactor device is without rolling means,in particular of a directional type. Furthermore, since its stability nolonger needs to be ensured by the container in which the compactingoperation is carried out, its structure does no longer directly dependon that of such a container. Accordingly, it proves to be of a verysimple design, without this having any influence on its performances orthe easiness of its use.

Deprived of autonomous driving means, this device proves to be, inaddition, extremely economical.

Further aims and advantages of this invention will become clear whenreading the following description, which refers to an embodiment givenby way of an indicative and non-restrictive example.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

This description will be better understood when referring to theattached drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic and perspective view of the compactor deviceaccording to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic and elevational view of this compactor deviceduring its picking up by a containers transport vehicle;

FIG. 3 is a schematic and elevational view of this device, mounted on atransport vehicle and during the compaction of waste contained in acontainer.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

As shown in FIG. 1, the present invention relates to a driving device 1integrating at least two synchronous brushless electric motors 2, 3 oneembodiment of which is shown in FIG. 2, FIGS. 3 and 4 contributing tounderstanding its operation.

In particular, such a synchronous brushless electric motor is of themultiphase type and comprises a stator portion 4 excited by electriccoils 5 corresponding to the various phases 6, taking into considerationthat this motor 2, 3 also includes a rotor 8 with N pairs of rotor poles9 radially magnetized in an alternate direction.

Within the framework of the embodiment corresponding to the figures ofthe attached drawing, N is equal to 5.

The stator portion 4 includes P poles 10. They are grouped consecutivelythree by three, so as to define a phase formed of a W-shaped circuitgrouping three consecutive stator poles, the central stator pole 11bearing the coil 3 of the corresponding phase 6.

Such a motor 2, 3 includes means 12 for detecting the position of therotor 8, these means being shown in the drawings in the form of magneticsensors, more exactly of Hall effect sensors 13. Advantageously, thesedetecting means 12 being positioned, between each of the phases 6, in arecess 14 equidistant between two consecutive stator poles 10 notbelonging to the same phase 6.

FIG. 4 shows the electric wiring diagram of the three phases 6 of amotor 2, designated 6 a, 6 b, 6 c, respectively, as well as the threeHall sensors 13, designated 13 a, 13 b, 13 c, respectively. Thestar-shaped mounting of the windings 5 requires three output wires forthe current supply for the phases 6. There are always two windings 5supplied with current at the same time and a winding 5 in which nocurrent flows.

In this embodiment using, as detecting means 12, Hall effect sensors 13,these have a common current supply and a common ground, hence aclassical mounting with five dedicated wires.

FIG. 5 is a vectorial representation of the three phases 6 a, 6 b, 6 cof the motor 2, 3 and the representation of the six angular sectors 15determined by the three position-detecting elements 13 and designated 15a, 15 b, 15 c, 15 d, 15 e, 15 f, respectively, in anti-trigonometricdirection.

The three phases 6 a, 6 b, 6 c are electrically offset by 120°. By usinga bipolar current-supply mode, six stable positions are achieved in apair of poles, here shown by means of the vectors 16 a, 16 b, 16 c, 16d, 16 e, 16 f. For example, the vector 16 a shows the stable positionachieved by feeding the motor between the output wires 17 a and 17 b,the current flowing from 17 a to 17 b.

The switching points of the position detectors 13 are graphicallylocated on the same vectors. Accordingly and through this type ofmounting, the rotation of the motor is achieved by applying two by twoto the coils of the phases successive current-supply sequences,well-known to the specialist in the art.

Finally, according to the invention the driving device 1, including atleast two motors of this type 2, 3, is provided with at least oneelectronic power unit 18 for the current supply to their coils 5 of thephases 6, taking into consideration that it includes, furthermore, onesingle electronic synchronization logical unit 19 for their operation.

In particular, this electronic synchronization logical unit 19 isdesigned capable of controlling, depending on the position determined bythe detection means 12 for the rotors 8 of each motor 2, 3, according toan identical current-supply sequence, the phases 6 of each of thesemotors 2, 3.

Thus, through the driving device 1 according to the invention, themotors 2, 3 do not include an own electronic logical unit controlled byan independent synchronization circuit to control the sequences ofcurrent supply for their phases. Indeed, in this case, there is only oneelectronic synchronization logical unit which is capable of applying tothe motors only sequences of current supply for their phases which arenecessarily identical.

Finally, one understands very well that none the motors 2, 3 intended atoperating synchronously of the driving device 1 can be offset by morethan one electric rotation with respect to the other motors.

In the case of the above-described three-phase motors 2, 3, this maximumelectrical offset corresponds to a 180° rotation of the rotor 8.

Based on this observation and on the very principle of the operation ofthis type of synchronous brushless motor, the electronic synchronizationlogical unit 19 is designed capable of determining, depending on thedetected position of their rotor 8, the sequence of current supply to beapplied in an identical way to the phases 6 of these motors 2, 3.

More particularly, in this way the coils 5 of these motors 2, 3 aresupplied with current in an identical, in order to achieve, as the casemay be, a maximum torque at the level of the rotor of the delayed motorand, on the contrary, a reduced, even zero couple, at the rotorcorresponding to the fast motor.

Finally, as is noted from the preceding description, the driving deviceaccording to the invention is not only of a very simple design, comparedto the known devices, since it now includes only one electronic logicalunit 19, but, in addition, it allows to guarantee a perfectsynchronization of operation of the motors 2, 3, since no offset by morethan one electric rotation can occur in this case.

It should be noted that, if the motors 2, 3 are in addition identicaland designed capable of operating under the same voltage, the drivingdevice can be limited to one single electronic power unit 18 forcontrolling all the motors, as appears in FIG. 2.

Furthermore, since, for a current supply in an identical way for thephases of the motors 2, 3, the position of each of their rotors is takeninto consideration, the blocking of any of them for any reasonwhatsoever necessarily results into a current supply to these motorsaccording to identical sequences, so that all the rotors are thenmaintained in a fixed position until the restoring of the failing motor.

The driving device according to the invention can find its application,typically, in the field of the control of the windscreen wipers of motorvehicles.

In this case, it very often occurs that there are several windscreenwiper brushes synchronously actuated by their own motors.

There are also known systems for adjusting pedal blocks of such avehicle, which adjustment must be identical for each pedal. Therefore,to each of the latter is associated a motor. The various motors aredesigned capable of operating synchronously through the driving deviceaccording to the invention.

1. Device for compacting waste disposed in containers open at a topthereof, said device comprising: a compactor roller rotationally mountedto one end of a handling arm another end of the arm being mounted to asupport frame, namely in a collapsible way; and a bearing framecomprised of two longitudinal beams defining slides for loading onto aloading platform of a container transport vehicle said bearing frame, ata transverse end thereof, being comprised of a coupling meansco-operating with a lifting and loading hook of said container transportvehicle.
 2. Device for compacting waste according to claim 1, whereinsaid bearing frame further comprises, at a transverse end thereofopposite the coupling means, a rolling means comprised of metal rollerspivotally mounted about a horizontal-transverse axis of rotation. 3.Device for compacting waste according to claim 1, wherein said couplingmeans are defined, at the transverse end of the bearing frame, by areversed V-shaped structure carrying, at an upper end thereof, acoupling bar cooperative with said lifting and loading hook.
 4. Devicefor compacting waste according to claim 1, wherein said handling arm ismounted on said bearing frame in a vicinity of the transverse end of thebearing frame, opposite said coupling means.
 5. Device for compactingwaste according to claim 1, wherein said handling arm is comprised oftwo or more lengths hinged with respect to each other and actuatedthrough driving organs comprised of hydraulics jacks or pneumatic jacksor both.
 6. Device for compacting waste according to claim 1, furthercomprising: a control station for controlling operation.
 7. Device forcompacting waste according to claim 1, further comprising: an autonomousdriving means.
 8. Device for compacting waste according to claim 1,further comprising: means for connecting, being comprised of a hydraulicand/or pneumatic and/or electric power take-off, to an independentdriving means defined by said transport vehicle.